Across North Carolina, many Christmas trees are destined to become mulch or sand-dune protectors.

The News & Observer in Raleigh reports that some cities offer curbside pickup and that many counties have tree drop-off sites.

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Wake County officials plan to turn the trees into wood chips and mulch for walking trails.

Along the coast, many communities use the trees to support sand dunes and fight erosion. Park rangers at Fort Macon State Park in Atlantic Beach hope to collect 4,000 trees for efforts in the first few months of the new year.

No matter what, fire safety officials say it's important to remove dry trees. Assistant State Fire Marshal Rick McIntyre said it takes about two weeks indoors for a tree to dry out and pose a fire hazard.